The Cutie Mark Matchmakers
by LadySparkle
Summary: The Cutie Mark Crusaders are convinced their two friends are in love, but too afraid to show it. With the prospect of a cutie mark on the horizon, the Cutie Mark Matchmakers set forth determined to get their friends to show their true feelings.  AJxDash
1. Chapter 1

_**The Cutie Mark Matchmakers**_

_**Disclaimer: I dont own My Little Pony, or anything related. It's all (c) Hasbro.  
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**Chapter 1**

It was just another quiet, sunny day in Ponyville, the skies clear of clouds and flowers in bloom. Critters and other wildlife were abundant throughout the streets, and a soft warm breeze glided through the city, cheering the resident's hearts and minds. There was no question that with an atmosphere like this, Spring was in full bloom.

Just along the outskirts of town, enjoying the spring weather, a blonde maned earth pony was working hard on the Sweet Apple Acres farm, glad to be back to work after the long, restful winter break. But winter had been wrapped up months ago and now that the trees were sprouting shiny ripe apples, Applejack could finally begin the spring harvest. Spring was the best time, after the shortages they often came across throughout a long winter, business was always booming during spring, and Applejack had vowed to do her best to work her hardest to help the farm.

The sun that shone down on her was not harsh like the summer sun, but warm and cozy on her back. Coupled with the cool breeze that snaked through the trees, Spring definitely gave the best conditions to work in.

"Spring sure is my favourite season," she thought to herself, adjusting her hat slightly before giving a quick kick to a nearby apple tree. The apples rained down neatly into the buckets set below.

"Then again," she muttered, glancing at the greenery around her, "Autumn wasn't so bad this year."

Applejack thought back to the 'Running of the Leaves' that occurred last Autumn. She giggled to herself at the tomfoolery she and her friend Rainbow Dash had gotten into on the day, so caught up in the thrill of competition they ended up last place, in an embarrassing debacle that even the Princess herself saw. Afterward, the two had jogged together at a leisurely pace, knocking down the leftover leaves while chatting and laughing at the day's event. Smiling to herself at the memory, she continued her work on the farm, half hoping to catch her rainbow maned friend napping in one of her apple trees.

Revitalized by the winter break and the warm buzz of spring, the earth pony had collected a substantial amount of apples by mid afternoon. She hauled the wagon of apples back to the barn for storage, waving to her older brother as he beckoned her to come closer.

"You sure you'll be alright working the fields all by yourself, big brother? Don't need me to help?" Applejack had practically finished her part of the work for the day, but didn't mind helping out her family when it came to the farm. Although Big Macintosh was more than capable, she honestly just liked the feeling of helping out another.

"You've been working all day Sis," Big Macintosh replied, collecting some wooden barrels, "You jus go on and enjoy the rest of your day. Maybe go find Apple Bloom and see what she's up to."

"Well, ah appreciate it! Thanks a ton!" the orange pony raced off before he even had a chance to reply.

"_What am I gonna do for the rest of the day?"_She thought to herself, slowing down her pace as she strolled through the plantation. Usually at this time, Rainbow Dash would have made her grand entrance and they would be engaged in some sort of competition or playful match. Recently though, AJ hadn't seen mane or tail of her best friend. It saddened her to think that maybe Dash was avoiding her for reasons unknown, but she pushed that thought out of her mind in favour of a better one; Dash was probably just busy with flight training.

"_Ah guess I'll go find Apple Bloom then, _"she sighed, making her way to the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse.

Applejack made her way up the stairs to the door of the clubhouse, knocking loudly before yelling, "Apple Bloom? You in there?"

When she got no answer, she pushed the door open and was met with silence.

"Guess she ain't here," she thought to herself, peering through the darkness.

Switching on the light, she immediately noticed the state of the clubhouse. There were markers and paper thrown everywhere, snacks strewn all over the floor, soda spills on the carpet and bits of fabric and glue littered throughout the room.

"Ah guess they're too busy tryin ta get their cutie marks, than to clean up the place! Ah thought Apple Bloom was neater than this! And if Rarity's little sister is anything like Rarity…"

Looking around the small wooden room, she decided to help straighten up the place. Having the afternoon off wasn't a problem, she'd had the whole winter off, and so a little cleaning wouldn't kill her. Plus, with Rainbow Dash nowhere to be found, she really didn't have anything else to do. At the very least, the delight on her little sisters face when she saw the clubhouse all spotless would be enough motivation to help out.

She started cleaning up the papers and crayons, neatly storing them on the small table in the corner. "If only Twilight were here," she grinned to herself, "She'd probably want to alphabetize the whole clubhouse!" Twilight was a well known stickler for organization, and although her methods were a little…excessive, AJ had to hand it to Twilight, organizing was darn helpful in a job like this.

After ten minutes of tidying, she heard a familiar voice outside shout, "Look out!"

Applejack had only a split second to move out of the way when a blue streak crashed through the winder, tumbling to the floor and knocking over the newly organized supplies. It could only be one pony…

"Rainbow Dash!" Applejack exclaimed, "What the hay are you doing?"

She rushed toward her friend, who was still on the ground, muttering to herself. Dash began to get up shakily, dusting herself off and flexing out her wings. Luckily the window had been opened, a face full of glass wasn't something she'd want to experience.

"Oh..uh, hey Applejack," she said, slightly uncomfortable, "I sorta lost control back there. Practicing some big tricks ya know. They'd really impress you!"

"_Always the cocky one,"_ Applejack thought, smiling a little. Dash was overconfident, smug, and sometimes a little arrogant, but she had really missed hanging out with her. But something didn't fit right in this situation, as Applejack eyed her friend suspiciously.

"Why were you flying so close to the clubhouse?" she asked, hiding the suspicion from her voice, "Doesn't seem like a good place to practice tricks ta me."

Rainbow Dash froze, brain whirring to make up a coherent lie, "Well, y'see, I saw you go this way and I wanted to show you this awesome trick I've been working on…and I guess I just gotta keep trying, right!" she grinned, glad she could lie so quickly. Thank Celestia she wasn't the element of Honesty.

The true reason to why she was there was that she simply missed being around her friend. It was incredibly hard to admit, but Rainbow Dash had come to the conclusion that she liked her friend much more than friends should, and it scared her to no end. It was hard to say when she started feeling this way for the earth pony, but after the 'Running of the Leaves' those many months ago, she and AJ had become much closer friends. Dash had visited a lot more, just hanging out together and sometimes just watching Applejack buck trees from a distance. After a while, it had gotten so difficult to be around her friend with all these unrequited feelings threatening to bubble over to the surface, Dash had simply stopped going over to Sweet Apple Acres. She thought that not seeing her friend would maybe keep her emotions in check, but it had in turn done the opposite, giving her some very vivid dreams that had Dash ashamed and blushing profusely after she awoke. It was clear that she couldn't keep hiding her feelings anymore, and the only left to do was to tell Applejack. Sure, it could ruin their friendship forever and maybe even her friendship with the rest of the group, but Dash knew she couldn't run from it anymore.

"Dash! Are you alright?"

She was snapped out of her thoughts as she looked up to see Applejack's concerned face. The earth pony was pointing to a nasty bruise on Dash's leg, which was quickly discoloring into a queasy purple.

"Aww its nothing. I've had way worse injuries, trust me," she replied, standing up tall and striking a pose, "It'll take a lot more than a bruise to take down my awesomeness!"

AJ laughed at her confidence, "Well, as long as your okay, sugarcube."

She looked her friend up and down, examining her wings especially for any more injuries. Dash refused to meet her friend's eyes and blushed; AJ was examining her so…intently.

After a bit, AJ was satisfied that her friend was okay and turned her attention to the clubhouse, much to Dash's relief. After the pegasus' not so graceful crash, the clubhouse was looking even more wrecked than before.

"Gosh darn, this place is even messier than before! And I had just cleaned it up too…"

Rainbow glanced at her friend's crestfallen expression, and felt a strange pang in her stomach. Remorse. It was her fault the clubhouse was ruined, so it was her duty to help. She was trying to do something nice for Apple Bloom it seemed, and Rainbow smiled at this. AJ's willingness to help out was another thing she truly liked about her friend.

Rainbow Dash nudged her softly, "Hey...um...AJ, I could help you clean up again?"

Applejack was stunned at her friend's kind offer. "Say what? You really wanna help me?"

Rainbow dash nodded sincerely.

"_Since when did Rainbow offer to do anything except flying and napping?"_ Laziness was known to be one of Dash's most prominent traits. But then again, she did need the help and it was Dash's fault in the first place, so why refuse?

"Well, I think that's dandy then," she decided, smiling warmly at Dash, "Together we'll have this place cleaned up.."

" – in ten seconds flat!" Dash interrupted, grinning back at her blonde maned friend.

AJ rolled her eyes and began to pick up the stray papers and art supplies again. Luckily Dash had missed the furniture, since it would have left an even bigger mess for them to clean and would have probably hurt her a lot more than the carpet did. For some reason, the repetitive task of cleaning and tidying was sort of relaxing.

For Rainbow Dash, the task was anything but.

"_Oh man…I'm alone, in a small room with AJ."_ Her face heated up and she could feel butterflies in her stomach. It had been a long time since they had been alone together, but this place was so secluded and calm…maybe this was the perfect time to tell her friend the truth? Dash glanced over at Applejack, who was busy folding up the fabric pieces into neat piles. It would be perfect; to just tell her right now, in the sanctuary of this slightly beat up clubhouse.

AJ felt Dash's eyes on her and she looked up, emerald orbs locking with amethyst. The Pegasus reddened and turned back to her work, humiliated she was caught staring.

"_Something's up with that pegasus,"_ AJ thought to herself, _"Maybe it's the reason why she won't ever come see me anymore?"_

Regardless, the two worked diligently, small talk peppering the silence. They chatted about the latest gossip, their friends, and their own lives. AJ wanted to question Dash about how she was avoiding her, but decided not to press the issue incase Dash got angry and left. The pegasus however, had decided to work the conversation to her advantage, trying to get any insight into how AJ felt about relationships. And in particular, her.

"Hey so I've been thinking," Rainbow began, settling in on one of the beanbags, "Do you think Rarity knows about Spike…having a crush on her?'

Applejack seated down next to her, glad to take a break. She mulled the question over in her mind. Dash's sudden interest in everyone else's love life hadn't gone unnoticed by her, and she almost wondered if Dash herself had her eyes on anyone.

"Ah reckon Rarity does know," AJ finally said, "But ah think Rarity jes doesn't want to break the poor dragons heart is all."

Rainbow agreed, only half listening, still trying to sway the conversation to lead up to her big confession. That was, if she didn't chicken out.

"Yeah...You're probably right."

"Sure would be a rough situation," Applejack continued, "Being in love with someone and never knowing if they feel the same way."

Rainbow dash still wasn't paying full attention as the words sank in, "…Yeah it sucks."

Applejack raised an eyebrow, "It sucks, does it!"

Rainbow dash's eyes widened at the realization of her mistake, "No, it's not what you think AJ! I just meant…I mean…"

AJ smirked, clearly enjoying the stuttering, embarrassed mess her friend had become. It was almost cute to see her so flustered over a simple misunderstanding, but AJ thought she'd have some fun with it while she could.

"So who's this pony you're into, Dash? Is it someone ah know?" She giggled, Dash had gone bright red, "Ah gotta say, ah don't see you as the secretly fawning type!"

Dash began to panic, and so she did what came natural to her, dashing away. She almost made it out when she felt a painful tug on her tail. She sighed; it was a known fact that AJ was remarkably good at catching her, even in the direst of situations.

Dash accepted her defeat and hovered back down to the clubhouse, AJ letting go of her rainbow tail.

"I'm jes teasing ya Dash," she said softly, catching her friend's gaze, "If you are in love with someone, that's yer business, and you sure don't have ta tell me if you don't wanna."

Dash sighed, staring into her shimmering green eyes, a blush spreading on her cheeks.

"Why can't I just stop feeling this way…?" she thought half heartedly.

Truth was, she didn't want to. Her feelings were shouting at her, demanding to be heard. She was so frustrated with having to hide and run away, it was finally time to just do it. She swallowed her pride and steeled her heart, this was it. Dash was finally going to tell AJ how she truly felt.

Her heart beat wildly as she stepped closer to the orange pony.

"AJ," she murmured, "I think…I should tell you something."

* * *

><p>"That was incredible, Scootaloo!"<p>

Three young fillies were chatting and laughing back to their base of operations, exhausted after a hard day's work of figuring out their special talents, in order to finally acquire their cutie marks. The Pegasus of the group, Scootaloo, had just performed a triple barrel roll on her scooter, an impressive feat that wowed the two others with her skills.

She grinned at the compliment, "Hey, I can't help it that I'm soo awesome!"

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes, "You're so full of it, Scoots!" she playfully nudged her friend and the two started to giggle. They walked in silence until they reached their clubhouse, the place they would always hang out or plan their next moves.

"Okay Crusaders!" The pink maned earth pony piped up, "We had a hard day of trying everything possible to get our cutie marks. I say we go back to the clubhouse and party!"

"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle agreed enthusiastically.

"You sure you aren't spending too much time with Pinkie Pie?" Scootaloo asked, "Parties?"

Apple Bloom grinned, "Well, the pony does throw amazing parties."

"Yeah, I guess. Not the cupcakes though." She remembered back to the party where Apple Bloom told her of their disastrous afternoon baking cupcakes that turned out to be crumbly and burnt. Covering them in icing honestly didn't help the taste, despite what Pinkie might have thought.

As the three walked up the stairs, Sweetie Belle suddenly stopped, a deep look of concentration on her face.

Apple Bloom noticed her friend pause, "Uh, Sweetie? What –"

"Shh! Do you guys hear something?"

The other two fillies edged closer to the door, listening intently. Scootaloo's eyes widened when she heard whispers and muffled talking on the other side.

"What if it's a burglar? Or a ghost?" Sweetie looked afraid again, cowering behind her two friends.

"Relax Sweetie Belle! No one messes with me, Scootaloo!"

"And Apple Bloom!" Apple Bloom piped in.

"Let's sneak in on the count of one…two…three!"

On three, the cutie mark crusaders gently pushed the door open and peered in.

"_Dash, it's okay. You don't have to tell me." Applejacks voice resonated in the darkness._

"_AJ, I want to. I…you have to know how I feel."_

"What's going on?" Scootaloo whispered to Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom just shrugged, eyes glued to the scene that was unfolding in front of them. She felt a little bad for spying, but she was too intrigued at the sight to reveal herself. Sweetie Belle seemed enthralled at the scene, eyes shining and face plastered in a grin.

Dash stepped closer, purple eyes locked with emerald, as she took a breath and leant forward, their noses now almost touching. Her heart was beating wildly like a hummingbird, so many conflicting emotions running through her mind like lightning. _Am I really going through with this?_

AJ just stared back, still confused as to what Dash was trying to say. The closeness of the other mare didn't make her any less uneasy.

"D-Dash, ah don't understand…"

Dash took another breath, her face burning up by the proximity. She had never done this before, love was just lame and sappy before she met Applejack. Now she was tripping over her words, blushing and stuttering like a schoolfilly. It was so embarrassing for someone like her, who maintained an image of being cool and collected. Why did she have to be in love?

"AJ…I really…"

Apple Bloom glanced sideways at her friends. They seemed totally caught up with what was happening. She grimaced, feeling a familiar tingle in her nose, "Oh no," she whispered.

_Ah-choo!_

Rainbow Dash moved away immediately, still jumpy from her almost confession. The two mares then noticed the source of the sneeze, the door ajar and three shadowed faced peering in.

"Apple Bloom? Is that you!" AJ demanded angrily.

The cutie mark crusaders crept inside, regretful looks on their faces.

"Explain yourselves! Spying on others ain't nice, and you know it Apple Bloom!"

"I'm sorry AJ!" the younger sister insisted, "Sweetie heard a noise and we thought it was a burglar or a ghost, so we snuck in to see what it was and we saw you and Dash, and we didn't know what to do! Honest!"

Applejack frowned, but knew her sister was telling the truth. Rainbow Dash seemed to be acting rather odd, however, retreating to the window.

"Uh, I think I left my…kitchen…on fire…" she said quickly, "Gotta go, bye!"

With that, she flew off high into the sky, a faint rainbow trail following her.

"_Rainbow…"_ AJ thought, glancing at the skies, _"What the hay was that all about?"_

She had been friends with Dash for a long time now, but somehow today had been different. Rainbow Dash had changed somehow, and she was sure that somehow something had shifted in their friendship dynamic too.

"I have gotta think this over," she muttered to herself.

"Uh, so what were you guys doing anyway?" Apple Bloom's innocent question snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Dash was jus helpin me clean up the clubhouse for y'all. She was being a good friend. It was really nothing!"

AJ quickly exited the clubhouse, leaving behind three very confused fillies.

"Well, uh that was…interesting?"

Apple Bloom and the girls shut the door and crashed onto the comfy beanbags they had placed in the clubhouse.

Sweetie Belle turned to the other two fillies, excited at what they had just witnessed, "Wasn't that just so adorable!"

"Huh? What are you talkin' about Sweetie Belle?"

"Rarity told me _alll_ about this sort of thing. I suppose you two wouldn't know as much as I do about love."

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looked at each other in shock.

"Wait, LOVE? What's love got to do with it?" the yellow filly asked, staring at the unicorn as if she was crazy.

Sweetie grinned, pleased that the others were appreciating her knowledge, "You didn't notice? They're totally in love! Rainbow Dash was all shy and blushing! That's so unlike her, right?"

The two other fillies nodded slowly, curious to see where their friend was going with this.

"And did you see how spaced out Applejack was after we got caught?" Sweetie continued, "That's another thing that happens when people are in love. They always drift off and stuff!"

Apple Bloom hmmed, mulling the idea over in her mind. Could it be possible that Applejack and Rainbow Dash were secretly in love? The thought sounded ridiculous to her, seeing as they had been best friends for a long time, but after what they had just seen she really couldn't be sure. They had been standing awfully close, right? And Dash seemed to _really_ want to tell Applejack something important.

"Wait right there, missy," Scootaloo demanded, "There is NO way someone as awesome as Rainbow Dash would fall in love!"

"Why?" Apple Bloom snapped, "Is Applejack not good enough for her or somethin'?"

"No, not like that! I meant, it's all emotions and sappy stuff," the orange Pegasus shuddered, "Gross!"

The three fillies sat there in silence, unsure about what to talk about next. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo didn't have the faintest idea about love, but Sweetie Belle was so sure of it the two simply concluded she must have been right.

Sweetie Belle suddenly shot up, "I've got an ideeeaaaa!" she sang, "Let's get them to confess their love! We can be matchmakers!"

Apple Bloom's eyes widened, "That's a great idea! Applejack will be so happy!"

Scootaloo, however, was not convinced, "No way am I doing any of this sappy love stuff."

Sweetie Belle nudged her friend, "Come on Scoots. Hey, what if matchmaking is our special talent? We might get a cutie mark!"

Scootaloo considered the idea; the prospect of a cutie mark was too good for any of them to pass up. "Well…if it's for a cutie mark, I guess I'll do it!"

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle cheered, high fiving each other. _"This is going to be great!" _Sweetie Belle thought_._

"Alright girls," Apple Bloom announced, "Let's plan our course of action! From today, we are the Cutie Mark Matchmakers!"

Rainbow Dash and Applejack had _no idea_ what they had just gotten themselves into.

* * *

><p>AN I honestly wasn't expecting to write ten pages in chapter one, but I couldnt decide where to cut it off.

I wanted to do a different take on the pairing, plus with season two looming I just decided to go with it! Shenanigans ensue.

This story is going to be LONG, at least five or six chapters. I hope you all enjoyed the beginning and will stick around for the ride! More adorableness coming up in chapter two!

Hasbro (c) My Little Pony


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

At the chime of two in the afternoon, the three fillies were still happily brainstorming in the clubhouse. Apple Bloom was pacing the room, mumbling to herself, while Scootaloo was visibly bored, doodling images on the corner of her notepad. Every now and then, she would sigh loudly, trying to get the attention of the other two, who seemed to be lost in thought. Sweetie Belle was the one with the most ideas, having previous knowledge on this topic from Rarity.

"Ahaa!" Sweetie finally gasped, alerting the others, "I think I found a way to start our plan!"

Scootaloo cheered, "Finally!"

Apple Bloom grinned, "Awesome! But remember, they can't find out we're doing this. I don't wanna get into trouble for meddlin' again."

Sweetie gestured to them to come closer, pointing to the sheet of paper where she had drawn up various ideas.

"Well, it's nothing too flashy. I was thinking maybe if we sent them presents! It happens all the time in the soaps Rarity watches with me! You see, if we send presents to each of them pretending it's the other, they'll realize their true feelings for one another! What about an apple dessert for Rainbow Dash, and some flowers for Applejack?"

Scootaloo spoke up first, "I'm not one for all this romance stuff, but that's a pretty good starting point. Can't go wrong with presents, 'specially food!"

"And AJ loves roses," Apple Bloom added, "Alright, let's do it! Tomorrow we'll start on phase one!"

"Yeah!"

The three high fived each other before dashing out of the clubhouse, eager to set off the plan and hopefully earn a cutie mark.

* * *

><p>The next day, the three ponies met up in the park, as was decided the day before. Sweetie Belle had brought two baskets along, each decorated with pretty bows and sequins and Scootaloo had brought her scooter to the meeting point, in case it was needed. Apple Bloom had simply brought a couple of apples for the apple tarts they had decided on as the dessert to give to Rainbow dash.<p>

"Alright, I'm going to collect the roses from the garden in the park," Sweetie Belle said, "Scootaloo, you can go with Apple Bloom to make the apple tarts. I already talked to Pinkie Pie, and she said she'd love to help us."

Scootaloo sighed dramatically, "Do I have to? That mare is so random and crazy! Remember her cutie mark story she told us?"

The three thought back to that day where they had traveled almost all over the city searching for Rainbow Dash, to hear the story of her cutie mark. Randomly joining them for a moment on their trip was Pinkie Pie, who told them her outlandish tale of "how Equestria was made."

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, "Pinkie Pie ain't so bad. She helped me bake cupcakes when I was trying to get ma cutie mark!'

Scootaloo didn't look convinced.

"Fine, go with Sweetie Belle, I'll be okay by myself. Meet here in an hour?"

"Thanks Apple Bloom, Roger that," Scootaloo replied, putting on her helmet and tossing one to Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle muttered a cheerful 'sure thing' to the earth pony, before the two fillies rode off on the scooter together, leaving Apple Bloom on her own.

Apple Bloom sighed as she headed toward Sugarcube Corner. _"I hope this works!"_ she thought to herself. She did feel a little bad about meddling in her sister's private affairs, but she just wanted Applejack and Rainbow Dash to be happy! They had been friends for as long as Apple Bloom could remember, and even she had noticed that something in their dynamic had changed. Rainbow Dash hardly visited anymore, Applejack barely spoke about Dash. It was a little sad, and if anything, Apple Bloom just wanted to set things right again, even if the two mares remained friends. The tempting possibility that a cutie mark could be involved just strengthened her resolve further. She rounded the corner, seeing the cupcake sign up ahead, when she saw a familiar pony beckoning her over.

"Hey! Apple Bloom! Over Heeeeeerrreee!"

The high pitched sound of the pink earth pony shook Apple Bloom out of her thoughts. "Oh hi Pinkie Pie! Ready to make some tarts?"

Pinkie grinned, bouncing up and down on the spot, "Of course I am! I've been waiting for you here allll day! And it was getting so booooring until I thought about how super happy you were going to be when we made them!"

Apple Bloom smiled weakly as the pink pony rattled off another tale. She wondered how on earth she would be able to keep up with this pink ball of sugar and hyperactivity.

Pinkie winked at her, "Well c'mon then, silly filly! Let's bake!"

* * *

><p>An hour of non stop talking, singing and laughing from Pinkie Pie later, Apple Bloom was utterly exhausted. The kitchen was a mess of flour, batter and pastry, which now decorated the walls and countertops after their afternoon of cooking. Although their cupcake baking lesson didn't go so well last time, luckily this time the apple tarts turned out looking fantastic. They were shaped into little pastry hearts, with a cinnamon apple filling and a whip of cream on top. Apple Bloom's eyes shone at the delectable sight.<p>

"They're perfect!" She exclaimed, admiring the desserts, "Oh thank you, thank you Pinkie Pie for helpin me out!"

Pinkie pie smiled back widely, "No problem Apple Bloom! Doing favors for a nice pony is the fastest way to making new friends – well, except for sharing a laugh – oh wait, we already did that too! Hahaha!" she continued laughing while bouncing around the kitchen.

Apple Bloom just smiled, placing the tarts in a pretty basket, decorated with ribbons from Rarity's shop that Sweetie Belle "found".

Pinkie Pie suddenly stopped bouncing mid air and turned back to Apple Bloom, "Wait!" she exclaimed, "You never told me what these tarts are for! Is it for a party! Why wasn't I invited then, huh!" she then slumped to the floor, her vibrant, poofy mane losing some of its volume.

Apple Bloom shook her head vehemently, "No no, Pinkie Pie, it ain't that at all. Y'see, its sorta…a secret!"

Pinkie gasped, eyes widening, "A secret! Oh, don't you worry Apple Bloom, your secret's safe with me!"

She then started reciting, while doing wildly exaggerated motions, "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"

Apple Bloom just stared at the earth pony, cocking an eyebrow at her strange display._ "Wellll, Pinkie Pie does seem pretty trustful," _she thought,_ "And if she knows about our plan, she might be able to help us another time..."_

"Well, okay. Ah guess you knowing won't matter too much. Plus maybe you could help us later on!" She beckoned Pinkie Pie to come closer and whispered the plan to her.

After hearing the secret, Pinkie's expression grew even more delighted, "That's so super fantastic, Apple Bloom! You guys really think they're in love? Awww!" she then gasped, "I've got to throw a party! This totally calls for a party, right!"

"No Pinkie, you can't yet!" Apple Bloom shouted, "Ya gotta wait for us to finish our master plan and get our matchmakin' cutie marks!"

Pinkie pouted slightly, but didn't seem too phased. Apple Bloom glanced at the clock, shocked to find she was late to meet her friends back at the park.

"Oh Shucks, I gotta go meet the CMC! Thanks again Pinkie!" she grabbed the basket and dashed out of the bakery, leaving the energetic pink pony..

Apple Bloom rushed back to the park, basket in tow, searching for her two friends in the crowd.

"Apple Bloom!" they exclaimed when they spotted her in the crowd, trotting over to her. Sweetie belle was smiling, cheerful as ever, but Scootaloo had an annoyed expression on her face.

"You're super late," Scootaloo glared.

Apple Bloom smiled apologetically, "Sorry about that gang. Pinkie Pie is…a handful, and we sorta lost track of time. But, check this out!"

She dramatically opened the basket, showing off the beautiful treats.

"Wow!" Sweetie breathed, "They look amazin' Apple Bloom!"

"Yeah!" Scootaloo agreed, "I deem them worthy to be given to Rainbow Dash!"

Apple Bloom smiled, her chest burning with pride. "Well, Pinkie did most of the work…but I'm glad it worked out! How'd the flowers go?"

The unicorn and Pegasus shared a sly look.

"You're going to LOVE this, Apple Bloom," Scootaloo grinned, rummaging in her basket to produce a beautiful bouquet of roses. Apple Bloom gazed at the array of colourful flowers in front of her. There were reds, pinks, yellows, whites and even purple, resembling a rose rainbow.

"Wow! You guys, they're incredible! This is gonna be perfect!"

Sweetie belle nodded, then gently put the roses back in the basket, careful not to squash any of the delicate buds.

"We totally are the best matchmakers in this whole city!" Scootaloo boasted, fist pumping, "No wait, in all of Equestria!"

The unicorn rolled her eyes at Scootaloo's brashness, but kept on smiling Apple Bloom quickly snuck a peek at her flank; half hoping something had appeared from the day's activities. "_Still bare. Rats."_

"So, let's get these delivered!" Scootaloo continued, "I vote we get the tarts to Rainbow Dash first. Gotta keep them fresh an' all."

Apple Bloom gestured to the girls to follow her, "Let's get going to her house."

"Yeah! – uh, wait," Scootaloo stopped abruptly, "Um, she lives in Cloudsdale." She tilted her head to her wings and flapped them emphatically.

Apple Bloom blushed at her mistake, "Ah, right. I knew that!" she demanded as the other two giggled at her.

"Why don't we get the mailpony to deliver them?" Sweetie Belle asked after her giggles had subsided, "Rarity gets a discount because of how often she uses the postal service. Ya know, to order her supplies and deliver her gowns!"

Sweetie belle took the two baskets from the others, "Here, I'll get these delivered. Let's call it a day, alright? I'm so tired from all that flower picking! Plus I got super dirty because Scootaloo wanted to mud wrestle! Ugh!" she glared at the Pegasus pony as she said the last phrase, which simply smirked and shrugged her shoulders.

"Uh, thanks then Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom said hastily, eager to break the tension, "Right Crusaders, phase one is complete! Now we just wait and see the results!"

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash was doing her daily flight stretches and exercises when she was interrupted by a knock on the door. To her surprise, it was the blonde maned mailpony, holding some sort of ribbon infested basket. The mailpony grinned at her, producing a clipboard from her shoulder bag for Dash to sign.<p>

"Mornin,' she said cheerily, "Package...well, basket for you."

Rainbow dash eyed the basket suspiciously, "Uh…thanks. But, could you tell me who it's from?"

The mailpony shook her head. "Sorry but this customer wished to remain anonymous. Nothing nasty in there though, we screen all the mail. Maybe they wanted it to be a surprise?"

She took back the board and handed Dash the basket, bidding her a good day before flying off, albeit a tad shakily.

Rainbow dash opened the basket, and almost fainted at the sight inside.

"Apple…tarts?" she choked out, completely taken aback by this new development. _"Would AJ have…no way she would have…but who else could it have been?"_

She bit into one of the heart shaped tarts, savoring the sweet apple filling as she thought.

"Arrgh, what does this mean? I'm no good with signals and messages like this!" she flopped on her bed, taking another large bite of the dessert. The basket sort of reminded her of Rarity, though, with all the embellishments. She had to hand it to whoever made the treats, they were delicious.

_Whoever made them. As in, baked_.

Dash sat up abruptly. She was going to find the answer to this. Her first target, the self professed best dessert maker in Ponyville, Pinkamena Diane Pie.

* * *

><p>It was almost nightfall when the mailpony finally arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, the second basket in tow. Apple Bloom was careful to remain out of sight that evening, as she was worried she might ruin the surprise by smiling or laughing. Up in her room, she listened eagerly for the sound of the door bell.<p>

She heard a knock and a sudden commotion downstairs. Apple Bloom grinned, that had to be it! Sneaking to her door she opened it a crack and peeked downstairs so she could see the results.

Big Mac opened the door, greeted with the familiar face of the mailpony.

"Evening sir," she greeted, placing the basket on the ground, "Package for Miss Applejack."

After the usual formalities the mailpony left.

Big Mac stared at the overly adorned basket, honestly wondering who would send his sister such a glittering mess. A joke maybe?

"What in the hay is that?"

He turned to see AJ at the foot of the stairs, cringing at the basket that lay at his feet.

He laughed, "Well it's for you, why don't you take a look then, Sis?"

AJ was slightly shocked. _For me? Why on earth would anyone send me something so…flashy?_

She trotted over and opened the basket, gasping in surprise at what she found.

"These…are roses? _Rainbow_ roses… WHAT is going on?"

Big Mac just smiled, chuckling to himself, "Seems like you got yourself an admirer."

AJ glared at him as he walked away, "It ain't like that! Ah don't know _who_ sent me this! It was probably just a joke, right?"

She glanced back at the beautiful array of colours, still confused as to what this meant. The only pony she could think of that would do such a thing was…

She shook that idea away. Dash would never do something so cheesy and romantic, right? Especially since she was certain Dash didn't like her in that way. If she actually did, why did she practically avoid her for almost three months? Nothing seemed to make sense.

The flowers lay by her bedside that night, and although they were beautiful, AJ hardly slept a wink.

* * *

><p><strong>AN** Chapter 2! Not a lot of Appledash interaction, but it's coming up soon! Stay tuned for chapter 3! Reviews are appreciated too! :3

Also I am so sorry about the line breaks, I fixed up chapter one as well .


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

A week had passed since that day when the three fillies had put their plan into action. Unfortunately for them, their plan had completely backfired; now Applejack was avoiding Dash after the 'awkward' reaction to the presents each had received. The cutie mark crusaders were frustrated as they gathered in their clubhouse, determined to fix the mess they had caused.

"I can't believe phase one didn't work," Apple Bloom complained, absently flicking a shiny blue marble across the table. They had managed to screw up their relationship even more somehow. Apple Bloom had asked Applejack at breakfast about Rainbow Dash, and was met with indifference and occasionally, a few snappy remarks about the pegasus. She felt awful that it had gone wrong; all she wanted to do was help her sister! And that cutie mark wasn't just going to sit and wait for them to find each other, no, they had to help them!

"Those soaps were lyin to me," Sweetie Belle piped up, disappointed her brilliant plan had failed, "Now they're avoidin each other more than ever. What are we gonna do!"

"We're _way_ in too deep right now," Scootaloo added, "I think we need some help."

The fillies went silent for a moment, thinking of the possible ponies who could aid them without spoiling it to anyone else. Apple Bloom unfurled a large sheet of paper on the table and grabbed a few crayons, just in case they needed to document their next plan.

"Hey…what about Spike?" Scootaloo asked, "Doesn't he y'know, "_liiiike_" your sis, Sweetie Belle? I bet he'd know some moves!"

Sweetie Belle brightened, agreeing, "Weeelllll, Spike always does hang around Carousel Boutique helping Rarity with chores and stuff. Maybe he'd know what we could do next?"

Apple Bloom wasn't sure Spike was the best choice when it came to romantic advice. Wasn't he still head over heels in love with Rarity, and she didn't even know it? The mention of Spike got her thinking about other ponies, in particular Ponyville's top magic student, Twilight Sparkle.

"Why don't we ask Twilight? She's a bookworm; she'd totally know how to help us!"

"That could work too, but can we really trust her?"

Apple Bloom hmmed, "Well, she doesn't have to know the truth, right? We'll just…make somethin' up! Maybe she could whip us up a love potion or something. Do love potions even exist?"

"I've seen them in movies!" Sweetie added.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes, interrupting the chatty unicorn, "Okay okay, back on topic guys. So, all in favor of going to Twilight?"

The two other fillies grinned and nodded.

Apple Bloom was relieved, if there was anyone who could fix their problem it was definitely Twilight.

"Being a matchmaker is _hard_," she thought to herself, "But I ain't givin up just yet!"

* * *

><p>That very afternoon, Rainbow Dash had ventured into town, desperately searching for the pink bundle of hyperactivity, Pinkie Pie. After checking Sugarcube corner and finding nopony, she found herself stuck for ideas; she honestly had no idea where else Pinkie could be.<p>

"What exactly does Pinkie even do with her life each day?" Dash pondered. She had to hazard a guess that it would have something to do with candy. And possibly balloons.

Trotting through the streets of Ponyville somehow made her feel on edge. Flying came so naturally to her that when she wasn't gliding in the air; it felt quite strange to be on all fours.

She was shaken out of her thoughts when she happened upon Ponyville Square, where the daily markets were taking place. Crowds always made her a little jumpy, but she wondered if Pinkie might have been selling her treats in the market today.

"Worth a shot," she mused, not so gently pushing through the crowds. Unbeknownst to her, a certain earth pony was in the market too, selling the harvested apples and vegetables from the farm.

As Dash strode through the bustling markets, it was inevitable she'd happen upon her friends stand. Their eyes met, and Dash froze, her mind racing.

Applejack waved her over, trying her best to make the situation lighthearted and not so…uncomfortable. Dash trotted over to her, though a little rigid and robotic.

AJ noticed her odd demeanor, but decided not to say anything that would make it weird between them. The whole flowers issue had confused and irritated her immensely, because she just didn't know what it was supposed to mean. She had tried to avoid Dash that week, although it wasn't hard since Dash was apparently avoiding her too. There was no way she'd ask her about it though, what if she didn't send them? Or even worse, what if she had, and then they'd be forced to talk about how they felt about each other…whoa, no. She was not ready to think about that yet.

"Dash!" AJ exclaimed, putting on a cheery face, "What are you doing so far from your element? Didn't think I'd see you _walking_ around Ponyville!"

Dash smiled a little, "Well, I just wanted to see how Ponyville was from a ground view. I much prefer my wings though,"- she flapped her wings a few times to make her point.

AJ chuckled, "We all know how much you love your wings, Dash. Ah don't need to remind you of last fall, do Ah?"

She remembered their contest, but not the cheating part. The best memory was of them running through the leaves, the golden hues swirling gracefully around them as they ran together; the sunset in the distance…she drifted off into the memory, a blush spreading on her cheeks.

"Uh, earth to Rainbow?"

"Oh, uh right. Last fall."

Then there was silence between them.

"_Say something!"_ Dash screamed in her mind, "_Or how about you stop all this nonsense and just kiss her!"_

Dash cleared her throat, pushing the embarrassing thoughts away, "So anyway…" she began, not quite sure what she was going to say.

"Hey isn't that Pinkie Pie?"

AJ pointed to a familiar pink mare, bouncing through the stores with a lollipop in her mouth, and a green shaped blob curled up on her back.

"Pinkie!" Dash called to her, relieved of being out of the awkward situation

Pinkie caught their eyes and bounced over to them, "Hey Dashie, Applejack!"

"Where have you been all day!" Dash complained, "I was lookin' all over for you!"

"Pinkie really ain't that difficult to find," Applejack muttered to herself. That pink pony had a knack for showing up at the most random of times.

"Oh you were? I was giving Gummy a bath!" she pulled Gummy off her back and held him up in her teeth, "_Sheeee? Hesh swo cweeen!"_

"Uh, but Gummy's an alligator," Applejack pointed out, "Doesn't he live in water?"

Pinkie put Gummy on her shoulders, twisting her head eighty degrees, "Well, today I let him out in the yard, so he got all muddy! He's really great at fetch!"

Rainbow Dash gave her a curious look, wondering how on earth he would play fetch, let alone be good at it, but suddenly remembered why she needed her.

"That's really great Pinkie. Hey, I just forgot I_ left_ something at Sugarcube corner. Come with me and get it!" she winked at Pinkie, trying to sound subtle but obvious enough for the pink pony to grasp.

"_GASP!_ Is it a surprise! Ooh I love surprises! Can I guess what it is on the way! Oh wait, then it'll spoil it if I do guess! I can't wait though, Is it for me? Or maybe Gummy? Oh come on, let's go now!"

The pink pony pulled Dash away from the stand.

"Uhh, I'll see you Applejack. Later!" Dash managed to yell back as she was dragged away.

Applejack gave a slight wave to her friends as they left, "That was…weird," she thought to herself, replaying the events over in her mind, "But honestly, this whole dang week has been just too crazy."

* * *

><p>"So! What's this surprise?"<p>

Dash looked guilty, "Uh sorry Pinkie, there isn't a surprise. I just needed to get away from AJ to talk to you."

Pinkie looked crestfallen, making Dash feel even guiltier, _"I better surprise her after all. But later."_

"Okay okay, there's a surprise. I just have to talk to you first, okay?"

She visibly brightened immediately, standing to attention, "Okie doki loki! What do ya want to know?"

"I need to know who asked you to bake those apple tarts that I got a few days ago."

"Oh no can do Dashie," she replied, "I promised them I wouldn't tell. Plus there's the whole baker-customer confidentiality issue."

"What! That's so lame! I've never even heard of that!"

"It's like a doctor thing," she giggled, "Just call me Dr. Pinkie! Or Pinkie, MD! Hey, maybe I should become a doctor!"

Rainbow Dash didn't even want to imagine Pinkie as a doctor. She slapped her forehead with her hoof before deciding this wasn't going to help at all. Everypony knew that if anypony could keep a secret, no matter how unimportant or super special, it was Pinkie Pie.

"Well, thanks for the…_help_," She sighed, feeling a little disappointed with her days work, "I guess I'll see ya."

She quickly unfolded her winds and dashed off into the sky, without a second glance.

"So long, Dashie!" She giggled to herself, knowing the whole story made her feel giddy.

"_I just can't wait until she finds out! That means I can finally throw a party!"_

* * *

><p>In another part of town, three young filles were streaking through town on a blue scooter, on a very important mission. Twilight's library wasn't too far and was relatively easy to find, it being a huge tree and all.<p>

Scootaloo sat up front, steering the scooter, while the other two sat at the back. They exchanged a frightened glance as Scootaloo sped around the corner, veering so far right that they almost tumbled out the back of the wagon.

"Not so rough!" Sweetie belle yelled over the wind.

"I got this! Relax, we're almost there!"

A few corners later, they parked infront of Twilight's house, Scootaloo raring to go. The rush of adrenaline from driving the scooter had her super psyched that this time their plan would work.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle wobbly stepped out of the wagon, disoriented by the _extreme _driving of the Pegasus. Scootaloo glanced and them and burst out laughing.

Apple Bloom glared at her, "Now just what is so funny!'

"Your hair!"

The two ponies rushed to the window to stare at their reflection, and noticed their windswept hair sticking up in poofy tufts.

"Maybe if she didn't drive like a crazy pony!" Sweetie whispered to Apple Bloom as they quickly fixed their manes. Apple Bloom nodded in agreement.

When they were properly presentable, they knocked on the large wooden door.

"Just a second!' A voice from inside called.

A few beats later and the door opened up, the smiling face of the purple unicorn appearing.

"Oh hi girls!" she said cheerily, "What brings you here?"

"Hey Twilight," Apple Bloom stepped forward, "We just wanted to ask you some things…-"

"And since you're the smartest, most powerful pony in all of Ponyville, we knew you could help!" Scootaloo gushed.

"And the prettiest!" Sweetie belle added, smiling her best adorable smile.

Twilight blushed, smiling widely at all the compliments and attention, "Gosh, um thank you..? Come on in then."

The three fillies trotted in happily, while Twilight eyed them suspiciously,_ "Wonder what's gotten into them?"_

She gestured them to sit by the empty fireplace, where the most comfy chairs were situated.

"Make yourselves at home, girls."She trotted to the table and set out some tea.

Scootaloo dived into a chair, sinking into the comfort and warmth, "Now this is the life," she sighed in contentment.

Sweetie Belle stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do, so she just stayed by Apple Bloom who seemed to have to situation under her control.

"So Twilight," She began, trying to be as casual as possible, "We need to know about love."

"Love?" Twilight stopped pouring the tea, "Aren't you girls a little… young for that?"

"You never know when it might be useful," Apple Bloom insisted, "Plus it's for a special cutie mark crusader assignment. Top secret stuff though, can't say a word."

"Alright…," Twilight said hesitantly, "Uh, let's see what I can remember from my encyclopedia."

"You have an _encyclopedia_ about love?" Scootaloo turned and whispered to Sweetie Belle, "Creepy."

"It was for my studies, okay!" Twilight replied. She levitated a large antique book off the library shelves, dusting it quickly, the golden title gleaming in the daylight_._

The three girls giggled at her, but tried to regain their composure. They didn't want to offend her, but it was pretty funny that Twilight did live up to her nerdy name.

Scootaloo flipped through the worn, browned pages, "Whoa, this book looks ancient. The pages are all brown and old!"

"No, Spike just spilt cola on it." Twilight frowned, remembering that day well, and how angry she had gotten.

"I guess it does give it an old historical look though…" she mused.

"Alright! I'm ready to learn Miss Sparkle." Apple Bloom made her point by sitting down in front of her, whipping out a notepad and pen.

Twilight grinned, "Okay, uh here goes. It says at the beginning that love is something that two ponies feel, when they just know they're right for each other. It makes them do crazy things sometimes. It's the most irrational feeling in the world –"she noticed their confused faces at her large vocabulary.

"I mean, it's a very unpredictable feeling. You want to be with that special someone, always and forever. You always know when you're in love, even if it's at first confusing and strange. But once you accept it, love can be the best feeling in the world. And that's probably all I can say without Rarity and Applejack getting angry at me for teaching you…uh...too much information."

Apple Bloom sighed impatiently, "Well, that's all fine and dandy, but how do you get two people to fall in love!"

"Gosh girls, that's awfully…specific!" Twilight could tell just by looking at them that they weren't telling her the full truth, "Why don't you tell me what's really going on?"

The three girls averted their eyes, each trying to think of some lie. They had agreed beforehand not to share the secret with Twilight; she wasn't exactly the most trustworthy of ponies, everyone in Ponyville knew that honor went to Pinkie Pie.

Twilight frowned at their change in demeanor. "You can trust me!" she insisted, "I learnt a long time ago that losing a friends trust is the fastest way to lose a friend –"

Twilight paused and quickly looked around the library, half expecting Pinkie Pie to burst forth from some inanimate object yelling _"Forever!"_ She sighed in relief when nothing happened.

Apple Bloom looked to her friends, who seemed to be drawing a blank too. She took a deep breath and decided to just tell Twilight their situation, but nothing too specific that she'd figure it out.

"See, there's this friend who likes someone else, and they like them too but they won't admit it so we tried to help them but it didn't work and now they are avoiding each other even more and now we think we've ruined their friendship as well and I just wanted them to be happy but now it'll never happen unless we fix iitttttt!" She took a few breaths after that long sentence, looking at Twilight expectantly.

Twilight was a little stunned, but pondered their situation for a few moments before answering.

"I think what you girls should do is own up."

They gasped, "But we couldn't do that!" Scootaloo pleaded.

"I know it's scary to have to do that, but I think it would be best you told them what you did, and that you're sorry. It's impossible to have a friendship or even a relationship built upon dishonesty."

Apple Bloom was getting restless; Twilight wasn't really helping them in the way she had hoped. Glancing at the girls behind her, it seemed they also had the same idea. They were matchmakers, and they were going to fix it. There was no way they'd own up, they'd be in a heap of trouble, not to mention Applejack and Rainbow Dash's friendship might never be fixed if they did. She quickly thought of a way out, a way to leave without Twilight being suspicious of them.

"Alright Twilight!" Apple Bloom said, a fake syrupy sweetness tinged her voice, "We'll go do that! Let's go girls! –"she gestured to them to follow her to the doorway, "And thank you for your help, Twilight."

"That's great girls, I'm glad you see it my way. Just remember, being dishonest to another is the easiest way to lose a friend -"

At that moment, Pinkie Pie popped out of the pot plant, "FOREVERRRR!"

"_Gah, Pinkie!" _

_*/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/**/8/*/*_

"What was that all about Apple Bloom?" Sweetie Belle asked when they were a safe distance from the library, "You aren't seriously gonna tell on us, are you?"

Apple Bloom shook her head, "No way! But Twilight wasn't helping us, so we need a new plan. Plus ah don't want her to find out any more than we told her, she's pretty smart ya know."

"I bet she can't even make love potions," Sweetie Belle muttered to herself.

"Ugh, Twilight's a total sap," Scootaloo groaned, "I really didn't need to hear all that love stuff from her."

Sweetie hmmed, "I thought it was kinda sweet thought. Ya think Twilight's ever been in love?"

Scootaloo shook her head, "No way! She was totally clueless! She'd be lost without that encyclopedia of hers! Speaking of which, wasn't that totally weird? –"

Apple Bloom zoned out of her friends banter when she suddenly stopped in her tracks, "Hey, did you guys hear somethin'?"

"Psst!"

The three whirled around to the source of the noise. It was Spike, wearing a trenchcoat and sunglasses, flipping a coin whilst leaning upon a tree. He had affixed a fake mustache to his face, which was slowly slipping off due to the glue melting in the sunshine.

"Uh, Spike? Why are you dressed like that?" Scootaloo asked, staring at him while stifling a giggle, "It's… kinda weird."

"Shhh! Quiet guys, I'm in disguise," he said, pulling his shades down and winking at Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo looked confused, "Uhh, why?"

He gestured them to come closer, "I heard about your problem, and I don't want Twilight knowing that I wanna help you guys."

"You wanna help us! Awesome!" Apple Bloom said enthusiastically, "But uh, why?"

Spike sighed dramatically and struck a pose, grabbing a nearby flower and holding it towards her, "Because I too, know what heartbreak it is to love another and not be noticed."

Scootaloo made a gagging sound, but Sweetie Belle smiled, feeling pity for the poor dragon. She knew he had a crush on Rarity; he spent most of the time when he wasn't with Twilight at Rarity's shop, but Rarity had made it clear to her that Spike was just a dear friend.

"Heheh, Spike, you're so weird," Apple Bloom giggled. He smiled back at her, fixing the flower he was holding to the bow in her mane.

"Alright," Scootaloo decided, "If ya wanna help so badly, then tell us what we can do to fix our mess!"

Spike tried to smirk mysteriously, but it ended up looking more goofy than brooding. Coupled with the strange detective getup he was wearing, the three burst into laughter at his antics.

"Hey, c'mon!" he wailed, "I'm just trying to look the part!"

"Spike? Lose the creepy outfit, okay!"

They laughed even harder. Spike frowned, throwing the shades off. "Alright! You win! Just quit laughing!"

"Okay okayyy." The girls straightened up, ready to pay attention again.

"So heres the situation." Sweetie belle quickly whispered the whole situation to him. As she spoke his eyes grew wider.

"Wait, what! Is that why they've practically been avoiding all contact with each other?"

"Ahh yeah. That was us," Apple Bloom grinned sheepishly, "But we didn't mean for it to happen!"

"I see you're in quite a stir then," Spike pondered, tweaking his fake mustache thoughtfully.

"Hey! Twilight's having a sleepover in a few days. You could do some scheming then! Plus they'll both definitely come; they won't want to disappoint Twi!"

"I'm liking this idea," Scootaloo grinned, "But wait…how will we be able to do anything? Helllloo, we're not invited?"

Spike thought for a moment, "Hmm. I got it! I'll be there helping Twi at the party. I can totally do it for you!"

"That's so crazy it might just work!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

Scootaloo scoffed, "Really? What kinda logic is that?"

"It makes sense, you just don't get it!" Sweetie Belle sassed back, glaring daggers at her friend.

"I do so get it! I'm not stupid!" Scootaloo pushed her and stuck out her tongue.

"You sure 'bout that?"

"Girls!" Apple Bloom yelled, interrupting their fight, "Not the time, okay!"

The two fillies grumbled under their breath, Scootaloo quickly pushed Sweetie Belle over when Apple Bloom had turned around, grinning in victory. Apple Bloom rolled her eyes when she heard her friends arguing again, albeit this time more quietly.

She turned to Spike, ignoring her friends' behavior, "Thanks Spike. Meet us at the clubhouse tomorrow to plan our attack for the party. But for now, I have another idea. Do ya think you could do something for me?"

"Sure Apple Bloom, lay it on me!"

She whispered her plan to him, eyes shining with excitement. _"This has to work! I just know it will!"_

Apple Bloom had just finished telling Spike her secret plan when the two other fillies caught her attention as they jumped back on the scooter, "C'mon Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle called to her, "Oh, and thanks Spike!"

Apple Bloom hung behind for a second, grinning softly at Spike, "Yeah, thanks for the help Spike. And…ah thought your outfit was… cute," she mumbled before quickly dashing off to join the others.

He lifted his head high, thrilled at the compliment, and popped his collar, "Yeah, Spike's still got it!"

* * *

><p>AN I promise lots of Appledash in the next chapter! Which I wrote simultaneously to this one so I'd get both chapters out!

Oh Twilight, y u so nerdy ;) Also, I figured out line breaks /*derp*

The way I see it, the CMC are old enough to understand crushes and such, like with Spike, but don't really understand the complexities of relationships. They think its all happiness and sunshine, like Disney movies .

Season 2…oh my gosh, it's so great!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"So, uh, what exactly does Twilight need a shovel for?"

Applejack was looking at Spike like he'd gone insane. He was trying to carry out his part of Apple Bloom's secret plan, but she hadn't specified some things and so he was forced to make things up. Unfortunately he wasn't a great liar and almost cringed when he realized what he had said. _Why on earth would Twilight need a shovel? Think, Spike, Think!_

Spike eyes shifted guiltily before he could stop it, "Uhh, it's for…a magic spell! Really complex stuff, I can't even explain it! That's how super tough it is! Heh heh…"

Applejack raised her brows at his strange behavior, but Spike was a friend in need and so she figured she should help him out, "Whatever ya say Spike. I'll just go fetch one for you."

Spike sighed in relief when she was finally gone, wiping the sweat off his forehead before dropping to the grassy floor, "Man that was tough. How do those girls do it?"

He sat there for a moment, until he realized he had to go get Dash in order to finish the plan.

"Oh man I gotta go!" he exclaimed, before running back to town as fast as his little legs would carry him.

* * *

><p>Applejack shook her head as she walked back to the barn, <em>"Everything's been so strange lately. First Dash, now Spike. Ah jes don't know what on earth they're thinkin'. And a shovel for Twilight? What kinda spell could possibly need a shovel…?"<em>

As she pondered these things she absently opened the door to the barn, and walked to the toolshed. She was so caught up in her own thoughts when she didn't even notice somepony else come into the barn.

"Hey Applejack, what's up?"

She immediately turned around, to see Rainbow Dash, casually leaning on a bale of hay.

"Dash? Uh, not to be rude or anythin', just why are you in my barn?"

Rainbow Dash thought for a moment, "Oh yeah, that's right. Spike told me to go into the barn to get Twilight a shovel."

Applejack's eyes widened, "Seriously? What in tarnation does that unicorn need a shovel for? Spike asked _me_ to get one for her, why would he ask you too?"

"I don't know! Cause I'm awesome?" She suggested, casually pacing the barn, "But has Twilight ever even done physical labor in her life? I mean, she had never run a race before! Imagine her trying to dig a hole without magic!"

The two burst out laughing at the thought, the image of Twilight trying to do hard work without her magic too funny. Their laughter subsided, and Dash, feeling particularly mischievous today and hyped up from the laughter, strolled up to Applejack and grabbed her hat from her head, giggling with excitement.

"I got your hat! Come and get it, like you could catch me anyway!" Dash stuck out her tongue and was about to wear it when she was knocked off her feet by the earth pony. The two grappled and tangled, fighting to pin down the other for the ultimate prize of victory.

"Oh no you don't, Dashie," she grinned, finally pressing the Pegasus to the ground. They were both panting and faces red from exertion, and Dash had been so involved in the competition she didn't realize the compromising position she was in. She blushed harder, trying to kick the orange pony off her, but Applejack was stronger and wouldn't budge. Her wings had expanded during their fight, to her humiliation, and were now pressing a little painfully against the hay streaked floor. The earth pony reached up and took her hat back, putting it in its rightful place upon her head, and finally letting Dash free, lending a hoof to help her up. It was silent for a while, almost awkwardly quiet, until AJ had finally had enough.

"Ah miss this," Applejack said abruptly.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"This. Us hanging out. You've been avoiding me and …Ah miss hanging out with you. Did ah do something wrong?"

Dash blushed and shook her head vehemently. She had tried to be subtle about her avoidance but she obviously hadn't been, and felt guilty that she had hurt her friend. There was no way she was bringing up the present she got a while back, that was way too embarrassing, and she still wasn't sure if AJ had really sent them, no thanks to Pinkie. She decided to instead take this opportunity to just rekindle their friendship again. She had admitted to herself earlier that she'd been a pretty lousy friend, and that even though she really loved Applejack, their friendship should have come first. "_Maybe I wasn't meant to be with her", she thought bitterly, "Everytime I try I just mess it up somehow."_

Dash focused on the situation at hand again, "Course you haven't, AJ! You're always gonna be my number one girl…."

AJ blushed at this, a little confused at her reaction. She felt her heart beating faster, and it wasn't because of their sparring just before.

"…its just, I had a lot of things to deal with and.."

Applejack raised a hoof to Dash's lips, silencing her.

"It's ok, Sugarcube. As long as you don't do it again," she playfully nudged the Pegasus, "I've missed out 'friendly' competitions, the times I used to catch you nappin' in my trees, heck, I even missed you boasting about how amazing you are!"

Dash sighed, feeling guilty and regretful of how horrible she had been to her friend, "I missed those days, AJ. More than you could imagine…and I'm really sorry about not seeing you lately."

AJ was a little stunned. _Did Dash just…apologize?_ She had hardly seen this side of Rainbow Dash, so honest and genuine, and truthfully AJ was starting to really like it.

"You're sweet Dash. You put on a tough, confident personality to everyone else, but inside you're as sweet and gentle as Fluttershy."

Dash looked away, embarrassed,"Hey…c'mon…"

"Ah think it's really cute."

She looked back up at the earth pony's smiling face, "You do!" she asked a little too eagerly.

"Sure Sugarcube. I love that even though you're the most fastest flying, coolest and toughest Pegasus in Ponyville, you still care so much about your friends."

"I care about you…more than you'd ever know," she mumbled to herself.

"So don't you forget to come see us!" Applejack continued, apparently not having heard Dash's confession, "Even when you're a super famous Wonderbolt, I still wanna hear about my best friends' awesome adventures, right?

"Right! Thanks AJ. Really and I promise I'll come visit you, rain or shine! I love you-" she caught herself at the last minute, "Uhh _I love_ your farm in the spring, it's really fresh and uh…cool."

AJ smiled again. Dash wasn't usually so sweet and willing to discuss important topics like this. It was strange how much she had missed her friend, and how her words were making her feel a little uncomfortable.

"Hey waitaminute," Dash said, pushing the heavy barn door, "The doors locked."

Applejack frowned, "What! But I didn't lock the door when I came in! And this door has got a mechanism that doesn't let it lock automatically." She ran over and pushed the wooden door as hard as she could. It didn't budge.

"That's crazy. Somepony outside must be playing a prank on us!"

"You really think they'd do that? I don't see anything funny about this prank."

Dash herself was a master of pranks, and this 'prank' was a really weak one at that. Definitely not of her caliber, not even of Pinkie's prank caliber. Who else would have locked them in?

Applejack spoke up, "I betcha Spike knows something about this! He sent us both here, right!"

"Hey you're right! Let's confront him tomorrow at Twilight's sleepover! You're…still coming to that right?"

AJ grinned, "Course I am! Wouldn't miss it for anythin'. And now that things are okay between us, I reckon it's going to be great. Hopefully a little less like my _last _sleepover…" she shuddered when she remembered her night trapped with Twilight and Rarity.

"So how are we going to get out of here then?"

AJ smirked, "Umm, the windows, obviously."

"Oh right…I knew that! Heheh." Dash laughed awkwardly as she helped Applejack lift up the window, "I guess whoever planned this prank wasn't the smartest pony in Ponyville, am I right!"

"Right." AJ agreed, "Hey, don't forget to get Twilight her shovel!"

They started laughing again at the ridiculous notion, their friendship now stronger than ever. The two ponies could only hope that nothing else would go wrong, especially at Twilight's sleepover. But they still had no suspicions about the three scheming girls who were playing them both like puppets, closer and closer until they would finally understand, and their clever plans for that very next night.

* * *

><p>AN Short chapter is short. .

I actually checked Party of One to see if the barn had windows. It does. So I had to incorporate that into the story, and I'm sure Spike wouldn't be that sneaky to bar the windows or anything right?

Also, I love Twilight; she's my absolute favorite, so I'm not bashing her or anything in this chapter. I just thought it was really funny when they made fun of her ineptitude, when she had never ran a race before.

Anyway, the plot thickens They're finally getting wise to the CMC's tricks. What crazy things will happen at Twilight's sleepover? That's for next chapter!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it, plus it makes me motivated to write! So go review if you like the story! :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The next day, Apple Bloom and the Crusaders sat huddled in the clubhouse, discussing their plans for that night. Spike had joined them, like he promised, and was currently engrossed in a large book, Apple Bloom shyly reading over his shoulder. They had no idea what went on when Spike had locked the barn, but could only hope the result had been positive.

The clubhouse was relatively silent, tension filling the air. Sweetie Belle was beginning to have doubts after they had spoken to Twilight, wondering if interfering in Applejack and Rainbow Dash's life was really a good idea.

Scootaloo too was beginning to tire of the whole charade. Sure, she wanted Dash to be happy, but was love really the answer? To her, Dash was probably better off without any of that, so she could perfect her awesome moves, and maybe have time in her schedule to teach Scootaloo herself some cool tricks too. Scootaloo sighed dreamily at the thought.

Finally Sweetie Belle voiced her thoughts, "Maybe we shouldn't plan anything else."

Apple Bloom looked up from the book, "What? Come on Sweetie Belle, we're so close! All our effort would go to waste!"

"Not to mention our cutie marks," Scootaloo piped up, voice soft.

"But all this lyin' and sneaking around is just going to get us into trouble!" Sweetie Belle shut the book she was reading emphatically and crossed her forelegs defensively.

"All right," Apple Bloom reasoned, "If you're so worried, this can be the last plan we try. I guess if nothing happens today, we'll just have to forget about the whole thing. Okay?"

Sweetie sighed in defeat, "All right Apple Bloom, I trust you."

Apple Bloom grinned, "Great!" She cast a curious glance to Spike, "Found anything interestin' there Spike?"

Spike hmmed, "Well…there are a few things I could do. Like this game where…"

Scootaloo raised her hoof, effectively silencing him, "We don't need details. Well, _I _don't need details. Just do what ya gotta do."

"Aye aye, Captain. Hey, maybe when we've done this, you can set me up with Rarity!" he said excitedly.

Apple Bloom just rolled her eyes, "One thing at a time, alright?"

He grinned sheepishly, before making his way to the door.

"It's been a pleasure, ladies, but I should be getting back to Twilight's. Don't worry, I've got some great ideas for this, you won't be disappointed!"

The three fillies watched him dash out of the clubhouse.

"Well, I hope he knows what he's doing." Scootaloo commented, absently drumming her hooves on the table.

"Me too," Apple Bloom agreed, worry settling in her stomach.

* * *

><p>Twilight was cleaning up the library and dusting the shelves with a feathery duster when Spike burst through the door.<p>

She looked up, surprised, "Spike? Oh thank goodness you're here! Where have you been all day?"

He froze, "Uh…with Apple Bloom."

She frowned a little, "Any reason why? I sorta needed you here to help me plan this sleepover! I'm getting a little nervous actually, I've written out a schedule for the whole night, but what if something goes wrong? Or what if we don't stick to the schedule…oh no I can't let that happen, it would be a disaster!"

Twilight continued to babble on about her carefully organized plans for that night, leaving Spike relieved she hadn't decided to press the issue of his whereabouts that morning.

"Well don't just stand there!" She called from the kitchen, "Come and help me plan! Only three hours and twenty seven minutes to go!"

_Oh, right_! He followed her into the kitchen, careful not to bump into the frantic unicorn. When she got stressed out, Twilight could get a little creepy.

"_Well, if everything goes right, this is going to be one heck of a sleepover!"_ Spike thought with a grin.

* * *

><p>Exactly three hours and twenty seven minutes later, Twilight had promptly finished preparing and was patiently waiting for her party guests to arrive. Spike was currently flopped on the couch, already exhausted from helping Twilight prepare, and trying to calm her down. She got a little crazy when she was stressed and he did <em>not<em> want to go through that again. But right on time, Pinkie arrived at the party, carrying a basket of cupcakes on her back, smiling widely.

"Hey Twilight!" Are you ready to party?"

Twilight giggled, "Of course, Pinkie Pie! Come on in, you're the first one here."

She bounced inside, eyes shining as she looked over the decorations and sweets.

"This looks great Twilight! You've done a super terrific job!"

Twilight blushed in pride as the party pony bounced off to set up her cupcakes. A compliment from the self professed best party thrower in town was definitely something to be proud of.

Ten minutes in, Applejack and Rainbow Dash trotted up to the door of Twilight's place. Loud music blared from the inside, indicating the party was in full swing.

Dash stole a glance at her friend before knocking on the door. She was thrilled with how the last few days had gone with Applejack, and felt like they were closer than ever. Not as close as she'd truly like, but after the tumultuous couple of weeks she was just happy they were good friends again.

The door opened to reveal Twilight's smiling face.

"Hi girls!" she said enthusiastically, "Glad you could make it!"

"Sure thing Twi, Ah was really looking forward to it!" AJ grinned.

"Me too! Oh right," Dash mumbled and held out the shovel they had taken from the barn.

Twilight was visibly confused, "Uh, you got me a shovel?"

"Well yeah!" Dash replied, "Spike said you needed one for some magical spell or something."

Twilight turned around and glared at Spike, who smiled guiltily and dashed back into the kitchen.

"Oh, of course…I needed one…Thanks?" she said slowly, levitating it into a nearby cupboard. She'd have to question Spike about that later, but for now her mind was completely focused on hosting the party, "Well, come on in! Everyone's already here." She motioned for them to come in, revealing Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy."

Pinkie Pie skipped up to greet them, "Dashie! And Applejack! So glad you could make it! This is going to be so much fun! Are you excited, because I am! Well, I'm sure Twilight will hold a fantabulous super special sleepover! Especially since I'm here to help her out! And…"

Rainbow Dash just smiled and nodded, unable to find a moment of pause in Pinkie's prattling.

She thought back to their makeshift plan she and Applejack had concocted on the way: Find Spike and interrogate him. He knew something, and they were definitely going to find out what.

But before she could do anything, the music was turned up and Pinkie urged everyone into the center of the room, ready to dance.

"Ooh!" Pinkie gasped, "I forgot something for my cupcakes! Don't start the party without meeee!" She bounced into the kitchen, where Spike was currently hiding. He was supposed to help, but couldn't think of a way how, since Twilight had told him sleepovers wouldn't really be his kind of thing. When the pink pony bounced through the door, he suddenly had a great idea.

"Psst, Pinkie!" Spike whispered.

"Hey Spike!" she greeted loudly, ignorant of his hushed tone, "What's up?"

"Um, I was wondering if you could do me a favor," he started, "You know…right?"

Pinkie stared at him, still grinning widely, "Know what? Is this a new game I don't know about? Ooh, can I guess what it is?"

Spike slapped his forehead in frustration, "No, no! You already know about Apple Bloom's plan to get…" he lowered his voice and gestured Pinkie to come closer. She obliged, curious, "to get Applejack and Rainbow Dash to confess!"

Her features lit up and she smiled even wider, if that was even possible, "Of course I know!" she exclaimed loudly, "I just can't waiiiit until they confess! It's going to be so great, and I'll throw a super duper fantastic party to celebrate!"

Spike nodded, "Yeah, yeah. Well, I'll need your help if you wanna throw that party, alright?"

Pinkie nodded violently, saluting him playfully, "Yessir! So what's the plan?"

The dragon paused, thinking for a moment what their best course of action would be. He thought back to that huge book he was reading in the clubhouse, and suddenly remembered a good way to start.

"Truth or Dare is a girly game, right? And it's on Twilight's checklist for games to play, so this is perfect! Here's what you gotta do," He whispered his idea to her, hardly able to keep the pink pony from bouncing.

Pinkie gasped, "That's brilliant! Don't you worry Spike, you can count on me!" Before she went back to the party room, she turned back to the dragon and winked, "Try the cupcakes though, they're delicious!"

Spike rolled his eyes, wondering if it was a good idea to entrust their major plan to someone as carefree and flippant as Pinkie Pie. _"Probably not,"_ he thought with a groan, popping a cupcake into his mouth.

* * *

><p>It was only seven thirty and the girls had started to settle down. All except Pinkie, that is, who was still happily dancing wildly, even though everyone else had tired themselves out a long time ago. Rarity was casually sitting in one of Twilight's armchairs chatting to Applejack, a drink daintily held in her hooves. Fluttershy was standing against the wall, content with watching everypony else and glad they were having fun. Spike had fallen asleep and was snoring contently in his bed.<p>

Twilight turned down the music, checklist in hand.

"Hey!" Pinkie exclaimed, whirling to face the unicorn, "I was dancing to that!"

The purple unicorn shrugged casually, "We can dance later if you like. But my schedule says it's time for games!"

"Sounds wonderful, darling," Rarity chimed in, placing her drink on the table.

"Oh yes…very," Fluttershy agreed quietly.

Pinkie Pie suddenly remembered her talk with Spike and raised her forehoof, waving it wildly in the air,"Ooh ooh! Let's play Truth or Dare!"

"Isn't that a really girly game?" Dash asked, wrinkling her nose, "Do we have to?"

Twilight flipped through her schedule, the five ponies watching her carefully, "Well…it is on the list as a game to play. And Rainbow Dash, I'm sure it won't be so bad! So come on, everyone in a circle. Make the radius about… two feet."

The five ponies looked at her in disbelief, and she laughed nervously, "Okay, any kind of circle will do!"

Sitting in their circle, the party host Twilight had to go first.

"Okay Twilight," Rarity began, "…Truth or Dare?"

"Hmm, Truth!" She sat back and smiled in confidence. She'd read the book about sleepovers and she knew this game was supposed to embarrass you and make you do silly things, so there was no way she was choosing dare.

"Okay…" Rarity thought for a moment, "What was the most embarrassing thing you've done?"

Twilight blushed a little, "Can I change to dare?

Rarity laughed, scooting closer, "Uh uh. You gotta tell!"

"Oh gosh," Twilight groaned, "It was when I was still in Magic School in Canterlot…I was learning how to teleport, which was still really advanced for my age. Well I tried really hard to do it and next thing I knew, I had accidentally teleported…into the male dorms!"

Pinkie burst out laughing, rolling on the floor, Twilight laughing along with her, "It was such a long time ago though, so it doesn't bother me anymore!"

The group laughed and Twilight blushed again, "Okay, next question please!"

They giggled and the game continued the circle. Rarity chose truth again, and her answer made everyone burst out into laughter. Fluttershy was next, but she had opted out of playing and decided to just watch. Pinkie had chosen dare and eaten an entire bottle of hot sauce, to everyone's amazement.

It went to Applejack's turn, and Pinkie took control of the questions. "I have one!" she declared to everyone, "Applejack, do you have a crush on anyone? You gotta tell us, it's the law of the game!"

If there was one thing that Pinkie was serious about, it was the rules of games. Applejack froze, unable to think of something to say. She was about to say no, but unconsciously thought back to the things that had happened this week, and her confusing feelings for Dash. She stopped herself thinking that and shook her head. There was no way she could say yes, because they'd want to know who, right?

She focused her attention back to the room where the five others were staring expectantly at her.

"Uhh, well," she stammered, "Ah don't think so…and if Ah did Ah wouldn't be telling you girls until Ah told he-," she caught herself at the last moment, "uh-him."

Twilight just nodded, satisfied with the answer. Pinkie was glaring at her, strangely enough and Fluttershy was just smiling kindly. Dash looked blank, staring at the wall and avoiding everypony's eyes.

"Well, it's Dashie's turn!" Pinkie exclaimed, ready to try again, "Truth or Dare!"

Dash thought for a moment, "Dare!"

Pinkie's eyes shined. "Perfect! I got one…You and Applejack have to dance!" She then began to giggle hysterically, to everypony else's confusion.

Dash's eyes widened slightly, but she managed to keep her cool, "Dance? With AJ? What's so hard about that?"

Pinkie stopped giggling, "It's gotta be ballroom dancing! Let me pick a song!" She bounded over to the music player and flipped through until she found the perfect song, slow and romantic. She grinned, pleased at her devious work.

Twilight and Rarity were laughing already, "This should be interesting!" the purple unicorn declared, taking a seat to the side to give them more room.

When the song came on, Dash almost fainted. It was so intimate and romantic; she just froze, glaring daggers at Pinkie.

"Come on then sugar," AJ said encouragingly, smiling warmly, "If that's the dare then we just gotta do it. Here, I'll show ya how to dance."

Applejack grabbed one of Dash's hands and put her arm around her waist, pulling her close. Dash tried not to blush, but their proximity made it difficult for her to even breathe. She could feel her face getting hot and looked at the floor.

"So this is how ya do it," AJ coached, explaining where to move her feet. The first few tries Dash couldn't get it right and kept tripping over herself, to her friends amusement. Finally, she focused on the music's rhythm and they danced about the living room, gracefully.

Dash decided that talking might make it less awkward.

"So...uh…how did…you learn?" it came out sounding a little rigid and stuttered, but she got the message across and AJ didn't seem to notice.

"To dance? Remember when Ah went to Manehattan, a long time ago? They taught me everything there is to ballroom dancing. It was one of the few things Ah actually didn't mind doing."

Dash nodded, picturing AJ in a beautiful gown, dancing with the upperclass Manehatten ponies. It made her smile and she lost her focus again, tripping a little before regaining her balance.

"But you've gotta loosen up," Applejack remarked, noticing Dash's jerky movements and posture, "It'll make it easier, and more fun."

"_I don't think anything can make this easier,"_ Dash thought with a sigh, _"Except maybe if our friends were gone, and it was just us."_

But she nodded and tried to relax and forget that the mare she was in love with was currently dancing with her, holding her very close.

She could practically feel AJ's breath touch her face, brush against her lips, and it was making it incredibly difficult to dance.

"I could kiss her right now," Dash thought dreamily, eyes trailing down to her lips, "Just a few more inches and…"

She suddenly realized what she was about to do and jerked back, losing her balance and falling to the floor.

AJ stifled a laugh as the four girls erupted in laughter.

"Uh, I think that's enough dancing for one day," Twilight commented with a giggle, checking off something on her clipboard.

Rainbow Dash frowned, annoyed that she had gotten distracted and lost her cool and hovered back up, her forelegs crossed in defense.

"Aw, don't feel bad," AJ said to her sympathetically, "You did great for your first try!"

Dash smiled, "Hey, thanks…"

The six friends returned to their circle, chattering about other party games to play. To Dash's relief, they were done with Truth or Dare.

* * *

><p>At eleven in the evening, AJ plodded up the stairs, exhausted from the parties activities. She and Twilight were the last ones awake, so she had helped her clean up some of the party decorations.<p>

"I'll be up in a minute," Twilight called to her, "Thank you so much for helping me clean up! I really appreciate it!"

"No problem at all Twi," AJ replied with a yawn, "Night then."

"Night!"

She glanced inside the room at the current sleeping arrangements. Twilight would be sleeping in her own bed. Rarity had gotten the spare bed, and Fluttershy was sharing with her. That left her and Rainbow Dash to sleep on the floor. To her amusement, Dash was already fast asleep, slightly snoring and cuddling her pillow. AJ smiled at the sight, her heart melting. Dash looked so utterly _cute_ and _sweet_, two words she thought she'd never describe the Pegasus pony as.

Applejack took some spare sheets and a pillow and laid them out a respectable distance away from her friend. She collapsed onto her makeshift bed, taking off her hat and putting it next to her. She closed her eyes and felt herself drifting into sleep, when Twilight came in and got ready for bed, making quite a racket.

"_She doesn't realize it, but that unicorn sure is loud,"_ she thought annoyed, now thoroughly awake. She sighed, listening to the comforting silence of the night. AJ snuggled under her blankets, ready to fall asleep when she heard a noise from behind her.

"_Mmm…Apple…"_

AJ sat up abruptly. That voice could only be one pony….

She turned around and squinted in the darkness to see the Pegasus, who was currently lying on her stomach, wings sticking out….

_Oh._

AJ blushed and turned around immediately, shutting her eyes. She felt like she had just intruded on one of Dash's private moments. Even if it was a totally normal thing, it still made her feel really strange that her long time friend was currently fantasizing about her. Or was it about her? She had only mentioned apples. It could have been anyone. A pang of disappointment shot through her, but she didn't understand why.

Dash giggled in her sleep, _"Apple…"_

AJ sunk lower into her sheets, face flaming with embarrassment. She was just glad the others weren't awake to hear this. She sure as sugar couldn't wake Rainbow Dash up, it would be way too embarrassing for both of them, especially with her wings like that. So she covered her head with her pillow and soon enough, managed to get to sleep.

AJ was fast asleep when Rainbow Dash sleep talked one last time.

"_Mmm, Apple..jack…I love you."_

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN Lots of shipping for you all in this chapter! It took a little bit longer to get this chapter out, so sorry about the wait, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and left such nice comments, thanks for the support! :]_**


	6. Chapter 6

The very next morning, a chilly morning wind bristled through the trees, the sun peaking over the hilly landscape of Ponyville. The clock had not yet struck six am, and most of Ponyville's residents were still snugly tucked in their homes, no reason to be awake at such an hour. Inside the foliage of Twilight's tree house however, where the lively party had taken place the previous night, two figures were already up and ready for the day.

The first was Applejack, who had woken up periodically throughout the early morning. Usually she awakened at the crack of dawn, to begin her farm chores; feeding the animals and making sure both flora and fauna were safe and healthy. Sleeping in late was just something she wasn't accustomed to, and couldn't believe how easy it was for everypony else to just sleep the day away. She yawned, tossing off her covers and deciding that six am was late enough to sleep in. She certainly didn't want to throw her carefully timed sleeping patterns out of sync by sleeping in too late.

Doing a quick stretch, she surveyed Twilight's bedroom where the six friends had slept for the night. In the dim light she could make out the shape of Pinkie Pie, hanging off the bed upside down, her pink poofy mane sprawled on the floor. AJ stifled a giggle and wondered how on earth the party pony could sleep that way, or if it was even comfortable. Twilight had been sharing with Pinkie, and was pressed as far away as possible from her bed companion, the sheets pulled neatly on top of her. Applejack glanced down at Rainbow Dash, who had shared the floor with her, and noticed she was settled snugly into her blankets, which were piled on top of her. Dash mumbled a little and squeezed her pillow closer, her hair messy and unkempt. Despite her best efforts, Applejack smiled at how adorable Dash looked.

A loud smash from downstairs startled the orange pony, her eyes widening in fright.

"_Who else would be awake at this hour?"_ she thought to herself, confusion growing on her face. She grabbed her trademark hat from next to her sheets and fastened it securely before slowly creeping down the stairs, ready to give whoever the trespasser was a good buck to the face.

The dim light from the early morning was streaming through the windows, leaving most of the house dark. Applejack switched on the living room light; scanning the room quickly to ensure there was no intruder. Thankfully, the living room was empty, apart from the odd streamer and confetti pile from the party yesterday night. She crept up to the kitchen, counted to three and…

"Come out, whoever you are!" Applejack yelled, pushing the door open violently.

Spike yelled in surprise, accidentally dropping the glass he was holding and smashed to the floor. Applejack stared at the 'intruder', her heart filling with relief.

"Spike? What in tarnation are ya doin' up so early? I thought you were a burglar or somethin'!"

He just sighed, grabbing the broom and dustpan again, "I was cleaning up the rest of the mess from last night. I am Twilight's number one assistant for a reason, you know."

Applejack cringed at her actions, a little ashamed at her own paranoia, "Ah'm real sorry Ah startled you like that, Spike. Here, let me help ya with your chores. It'll make the job get done lickety-split!"

Spike nodded, a grin spreading on his face, "Sure thing, Applejack! You can help me clean the dishes if you want!"

Applejack smiled and trotted toward the sink. That Spike was such a sweet helper, always trying to prove his worth to Twilight. Speaking of Spike…she remembered her and Dash's plan that they had concocted before the party. They hadn't had a chance to carry it out and find out what was going on last night, and to AJ's delight, being alone with Spike now would be a perfect opportunity to gain some information.

She smiled mischievously, "So Spike…Ah was wondering...why you sent Rainbow Dash to the barn as well as me?"

Spike froze, his legs beginning to shake a little, "Oh, that?" he replied casually, trying to sound nonchalant, "I just…well, uh…"

"You don't trust me or something, is that it?" AJ said angrily. In truth she was just pretending, trying to make Spike admit to whatever he was in on.

Spike shook his head emphatically, "Of course I trust you, Applejack! You're the most honest, trustworthy pony around! It's just…"

"It's just WHAT Spike? Rainbow Dash is better than me? Spit it out!" She admitted she was being a little harsh on the poor dragon, but this was her only chance to wring it out of him. Besides, she had heard what sort of interrogation techniques Pinkie Pie had employed on him, and compared to that, Applejack thought she was being way too tame.

"I just…I…" His eyes darted around the room, about to crack under her pointed gaze, "I can't take it anymore! It wasn't me, I swear! We just thought since Rainbow Dash was in love with you that we'd get you together and…I'm sorry! But we schemed up all these plans and…oh no, please make sure Rainbow Dash doesn't find out I was involved!"

Spike was, oddly, a little afraid of Rainbow Dash, and he grabbed AJ's legs and continued to plead with her. Applejack, however, was still reeling from what he had just said.

"Y-you thought me an' Dash were in love?" she asked quietly, before her mind had a breakthrough, "Wait, you said "we"! Who else was involved, Spike?"

Spike shifted in discomfort, pausing for a few moments, "…The Cutie Mark Crusaders…"

Anger bubbled up inside of Applejack after hearing those three words, "Those little…brats!" she thought angrily, feeling completely betrayed and honestly, a little violated that three fillies were meddling in her love life.

But before she could get really furious and forget rational thinking, she paused and calmed herself slightly, waiting for the weight of Spike's confession to sink in. Minutes past, the two standing in the kitchen in silence. Spike was still trembling from having revealed the truth, absently scrubbing at a clean plate. Replaying his words again and again through her head, Applejack noticed something in what he had said.

"Whoa there, wait a sec," she declared slowly, the truth dawning on her, "Did you just say…Rainbow Dash was in love with me?"

Spike gasped, dashing to the fridge and shoving a cupcake into his mouth to shut himself up, his eye twitching. That told her more than enough. Applejack was about to press the matter further when she heard the sound of a door slamming, and turned to Spike quickly.

"We will discuss this later," she said in her best authoritative tone, "And Ah will be mentioning this to Twilight."

Spike sighed and hung his head in shame, chewing on the cupcake morosely as the orange pony dashed out of the kitchen.

Applejack crept upstairs to investigate the noise. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary…except….Rainbow Dash was missing! Suddenly it hit her and she raced out the door, scanning the skies for her friend.

"Oh gosh, she must have heard it all," AJ gasped, "It must've been so humiliating for her…!"

At that moment, Twilight and Rarity had awoken, chatting whilst walking downstairs. They noticed Applejack standing outside, and called to her.

"Um…Applejack?" Twilight began, waving her back inside, "Good mor-"

"Where did Rainbow Dash just go?" She demanded, cutting off the unicorns greeting.

Rarity was levitating a brush through her mane as she spoke, "Oh, she just remembered she had something urgent to take care of. I'm sure she's quite all right though."

Applejack scoffed, "Ah wouldn't be so sure," she said quietly.

Silence filled the air and the two unicorns stared at her, as if she had gone crazy.

"Is everything okay, Applejack?" Twilight asked, concern lacing her features. She levitated her clipboard and quill over to her, "Because we can talk about it, if you want."

"Thanks Twilight," Applejack smiled gratefully at 'Therapist' Twilight's attempt to help her, "But…now that you mention it, Ah'd better be off too. Got a lot of farm chores to catch up on. Say goodbye to Pinkie and Fluttershy for me, won't y'all!"

With that, she dashed back outside and into town, leaving the two confused unicorns in her wake.

* * *

><p>Getting back to the farm seemed to take only minutes in her furious state. Applejack was indeed angry that those fillies had meddled in her affairs, but she knew she had to get the full story about this before she confronted Rainbow Dash. And thanks to Spike's confession, she knew exactly who to talk to…none other than her little sister Apple Bloom.<p>

She quickly checked the farmhouse, muttering a quick 'hello' to Big Macintosh and Granny Smith. Apple Bloom was nowhere to be found at home, but she had a good idea of where the yellow filly might be: her old clubhouse, and the new clubhouse of her little cutie mark club.

When she arrived at the wooden playhouse, she noticed Apple Bloom was sitting on the lawn outside, papers strewn all around her. Applejack took a few deep breaths, not wanting to be cruel to her sister or take too much anger out on her. Sure she was mad, but she really only just wanted get some closure on the situation.

"Apple Bloom." She began, her most strict and motherly voice coming into play.

The yellow filly turned around and smiled brightly at her sister at first, but noticed the solemn glare that Applejack was currently giving her and her smile faded.

"Um..sis..?"

"Apple Bloom. It was _you?_!" Her plan of staying calm was slowly slipping away. She was getting angrier by the second. How could her younger sister be so intrusive in her life? Not to mention getting her own friends involved! It was humiliating to say the least!

Apple Bloom froze, knowing full well the implication of those words. Applejack knew. Somepony had let it slip. Fear gripped her heart and she sniffled, tears welling up.

"I'm sorry!" Apple bloom sobbed, "We just thought…if you two were together, you'd be happy. We really didn't mean any harm. And then we thought we might get our cutie marks and then it just got out of hand, honest!"

Applejack had been angrier than she had ever been in her life. She was about to yell some more when she hesitated. Listening to her younger sibling's plea, it made her realize anger she felt only a few moments ago was slipping away, replaced by a mix of pity and tenderness. Her sister was just trying to look out for her. Maybe in an extremely personal way, but Apple Bloom honestly had her heart in the right place.

"Apple Bloom, you can't meddle in other ponies lives like that! You've really upset me, not to mention what Rainbow Dash must be feelin'! I know your heart might've been in the right place, but this is the lowest thing you have ever done. And you just had to bring your friends into it too! Ah'm really disappointed in you, sis."

Apple Bloom continued to sob, tearing her gaze away from Applejack's and instead curling up on the ground, face covered by her hooves. Applejack's frown disappeared, seeing her sister in such a state, and sighed.

"_Apple Bloom is young and she made a mistake, _"She reasoned with herself,finally calm and composed enough to think rationally again,_ "There's no reason to ruin our sisterly bond over thi_s."

"Look Apple Bloom," she said softly, sitting beside the filly, "Ah know you had your heart in the right place, but you can't just make whoever you want fall in love. It's just…" she paused, wondering how to explain it to the teary filly beside her, "It's a feeling you get for someone and you can't change it. You can't choose who you fall in love with, whether it be mare or stallion. You're happy when they're with you and you miss them when you're apart. They're always there for you and…"

Applejack stopped abruptly when her mind wandered to Rainbow Dash. Apple Bloom glanced up at her, a little confused.

"Sis?" she asked in a small voice.

"Uh huh." She mumbled, lost in her own thoughts.

"_Dash and I are friends," _she reasoned with herself,_ "And sure, she means a whole lot to me. But… when I talked to her earlier in the barn, she was so sweet and I'd never seen her like that before. Maybe I was just stubborn and didn't want to admit it before, but when I'm around her…I do feel different than when I'm with the others. And I couldn't imagine living without her…"_

Apple Bloom stared at her sister, who was currently in some kind of daze, a confused expression etched on her face. She kinda wanted Applejack to start yelling at her again, anything was better than this eerie silence!

"Oh no," Applejack finally said, getting up hastily. Suddenly, everything had clicked in her brain. The time she and Dash had spent together at the clubhouse, at the barn, even at the market. It all made sense, Dash was trying to tell her how she felt, but she just never picked up on the message.

"All those times…Ah think Dash was trying to tell me…and now Ah…Ah gotta tell her how Ah feel too."

Apple Bloom smiled widely, wiping her watery eyes, "You do?"

Applejack turned back to her with a stern expression, "You ain't off the hook yet missy," she warned, "But for now, I needa find Rainbow Dash!"

The orange pony cantered away, leaving Apple Bloom smiling happily in her wake. _"Maybe things will work out after all,"_ she thought with a contented sigh. Or if she was lucky, her sister would calm down and she wouldn't be in so much trouble. She glanced at her flank expectantly, a little disappointed when it remained blank, but still remained optimistic. Applejack had found out, but she had also discovered that she loved Dash too.

"Only a matter of time now," Apple Bloom grinned.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Oh Spike, you can never keep your mouth shut! So what will become of Applejack, and where is Rainbow Dash in all of this? Stay tuned for the final installment! As always, reviews are encouraged and appreciated! Even if you just write "Oatmeal!" (I will be inclined to believe you are crazy though)!**


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